Mountain Gorillas! There are only a few places left in the world to see these primates in their natural habitat so making the trek is a once in a lifetime experience. I use the word trek because that’s what you need to do, you need to trek into dense forest to see these gorilla families in the wild. A lot of our enquiries, particularly from the honeymoon safari seekers, include trekking with the gorillas in their itinerary wishlist but most of these travellers underestimate the time and cost of doing so – not to mention your fitness. Where to see the mountain gorillas These are the places we go Gorilla trekking: • Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, • Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park The ideal length of an African safari is about 2-3 weeks and if you have the time and money then a flight to and from this region, a few nights stay, permit fees and the trek itself are a wonderful inclusion in your holiday. If however you want to see a lot of places in a short time and don’t have a big budget then gorilla trekking might be a stretch. It’s not a walk in the park! A possible issue for gorilla trekking safari travellers is your fitness. You may need to hike on foot for several hours before finding the gorillas allocated to you. When I say “allocated to you” it’s because the gorilla treks are co-ordinated based on your age or level of fitness. The deeper you go up into the mountain the fitter you need to be. Rwanda is our preference for Gorilla trekking because the trekking part of the journey is not so far, but the permits are expensive at US$1500 per person per trek. Top Shelf Honeymoon Accommodation and Absolute Privacy Costs Money Africa is a developing continent but many first time safari travellers underestimate the price to stay there, particularly when the Aussie dollar is down against the US dollar. Prices for Kenya and Tanzania accommodation are based on US dollars. If it’s a stay at Giraffe Manor or seeing the Gorillas you want then be prepared to pay for them. There are lots of giraffes in Africa and you can see them on game drives but there is only one Giraffe Manor. Plus you need to plan and book early to get a room! Why our clients give us 5-stars We know Africa, we know the costs involved, and we also know the best places to stay and visit and every client who has trusted their African safari with us has loved their trip and given us a 5-star rating and glowing review. Come and check out the itineraries and options and see how we can help you.
